Postdoc in Electroactive Biofilm-based Constructed Wetlands

Can biodegradation rates in constructed wetlands be accelerated by using electrical conductive porous media with a biofilm comprising electroactive bacteria?

The Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Denmark, invites applications for a two-year postdoc position in Electroactive Biofilm-based Constructed Wetlands at the Section of Aquatic Biology. The position is to be filled as soon as possible.

Research Area and Project Description: Many microorganism have the capacity to exchange electrons with insoluble electron active redox compounds located outside the outer membrane of the cell. This capacity for extracellular electron exchange can potentially be used in subsurface-flow constructed wetland systems to enhance the rate of pollutant removal. The concept is to build up a constructed wetland with a conductive porous medium, which has a high capacity to transfer electrons and pass them on to electron acceptors. The conductive material acts as a pathway for transfer of electrons from anoxic zones to oxic zones and thus effectively constitute an inexhaustible electron acceptor. The postdoc is expected to work with this so-called Microbial Electrochemical-based Constructed Wetland (METland) technology. Specific research may focus on various aspects of the METland technology, including microbe-medium interaction, biogeochemical processes in the filter, effects of system configuration and loading on treatment performance, etc., depending on specific experience of the candidate. Applicants must submit a description of proposed research activities of relevance for the topic.

The postdoc is expected to lead at least one paper in this research area, as well as collaborate with other team members, including students, sharing skills, helping solving problems in her/his area of expertise and more generally contributing ideas and concepts to the project. The candidate will be encouraged to write a Marie Curie fellowship application as soon as she/he arrives on the subject of the project to continue the work on this topic within the group.

Qualifications and Specific Competences: Applicants to the postdoc position must have PhD degree in biology (or equivalent) or have submitted their PhD thesis for assessment before the application deadline. The successful candidate should have solid and relevant experience with electromicrobiology, and the application of microbial electrochemical technologies in wastewater treatment. Furthermore, the successful candidate needs to have strong collaborative skills, proven abilities to publish at a high international level, and good skills in English. International applicants who do not have English as their first language must prove strong English language writing skills.

Application procedure Shortlisting is used. This means that after the deadline for applications and with the assistance from the assessment committee chairman, and the appointment committee if necessary, the head of department selects the candidates to be evaluated. All applicants will be notified whether or not their applications have been sent to an expert assessment committee for evaluation. The selected applicants will be informed about the composition of the committee, and each applicant is given the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that concerns him/her self. Once the recruitment process is completed a final letter of rejection is sent to the deselected applicants, including the main considerations emphasized during the selection process. Formalities and salary range Science and Technology refers to the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Danish Universities under the Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.

The application must be in English and include a curriculum vitae, degree certificate, a complete list of publications, a statement of future research plans and information about research activities, teaching portfolio and verified information on previous teaching experience (if any). Guidelines for applicants can be found here.

Appointment shall be in accordance with the collective labour agreement between the Danish Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. Further information on qualification requirements and job content may be found in the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Danish Universities. Salary depends on seniority as agreed between the Danish Ministry of Finance and the Confederation of Professional Associations.

All interested candidates are encouraged to apply, regardless of their personal background. Research activities will be evaluated in relation to actual research time. Thus, we encourage applicants to specify periods of leave without research activities, in order to be able to subtract these periods from the span of the scientific career during the evaluation of scientific productivity.

Aarhus University offers Relocation service to International researchers. You can read more about it here.

Aarhus University is an academically diverse and research-intensive university with a strong commitment to high-quality research and education and the development of society nationally and globally. The university offers an inspiring research and teaching environment to its 39,000 students (FTEs) and 8,000 employees, and has an annual revenues of EUR 884 million Learn more at www.au.dk/en.